Welcome to February!

There are many exciting upcoming events for ATBL supporters—both in-person, and online. You can see some highlighted events below, including one on February 14 and another on February 25. Check out our website for the full published list of ATBL opportunities, and you are welcome to sign up for the ATBL Events-Only email list. The Events-Only email list ensures you receive notification of new events as soon as registration becomes available—including to two forthcoming, exclusive March events related to the Grolier Club's excellent Sherlock Holmes exhibition.

The first—and largest—change at ATBL this February is the January 2022 retirement of ATBL's Executive Director for over 15 years, Seana E. Anderson. During her tenure managing ATBL's operations, Seana has ensured the growth and expansion of the ATBL and has become a cherished friend to many. On a personal note, I also want to thank Seana for her invaluable support and guidance over the past five months. Seana has ensured that I will begin this position on a firm foundation, and I look forward to her continuing presence as an active ATBL supporter!

We have additional announcements regarding ATBL leadership. Miwa Yokoyama, who has long been an essential member of the ATBL operations team as a consultant, has assumed a new staff position as our Administrative and Communications Coordinator. Regarding the ATBL's Board of Trustees: as of October 2021, R. Dyke Benjamin has assumed the role of ATBL Board Chairman, Barbara A. Shailor, PhD, has become the ATBL's President of the Board, and Evalyn Lee has taken on the role of the ATBL's Secretary of the Board. We also welcomed Nancy Boehm as a member of the ATBL's Executive Committee of the Board of Trustees.

We are equally pleased to congratulate Nancy on her new role as the President of the Grolier Club. A mutual love of books and the art of collecting have long linked the ATBL and the Grolier Club as close collaborators, so we are particularly excited that Nancy will formally cement the leadership ties between the two organizations. You can read more about ATBL's leadership on our website.

I hope to see (or meet!) many of you at our events, but, until then, I wish you and yours a warm and safe February!

Sincerely,

Elizabeth Berkowitz, MA, PhD

Executive Director

The American Trust for the British Library

Join a lively celebration of regional news and its significance at the heart of communities at the launch of the British Library’s flagship exhibition Breaking the News. Award-winning broadcaster and journalist Fatima Manji, Editorial Director for JPI Media Yorkshire James Mitchinson, co-founder of Doncopolitan Rachel Horne, and three-time winner at the Regional Press Awards Roger Lytollis come together in Leeds Central Library to kick off Breaking the News with an exploration of the regional news landscape.

This national conversation demonstrates the impact of each individual voice on not only the telling of our own narratives, but also on the recounting of events around us.



Free. Click the image to register.

Explore the British Library’s Theatre Royal Stratford East and Joan Littlewood Archives!

Theatre Royal Stratford East was built in 1884 in the heart of East London and has maintained an industry-leading pedigree for representing the socially diverse community of which it is a part.

From 1953 to 1979, Theatre Royal Stratford East was home to Joan Littlewood’s legendary Theatre Workshop Company, famed for their productions Oh, What a Lovely War! and A Taste of Honey. Littlewood was renowned for her socialist principles, radical vision, and unorthodox working techniques, resulting in her developing innovative new approaches to producing theatre.

In 2021, the British Library acquired the archive of both Joan Littlewood and her company, Theatre Workshop. Donated on behalf of Theatre Royal Stratford East by actor and Theatre Workshop alumnus Murray Melvin, the archive consists of papers, documents, cast notes, programs, and many more fascinating artefacts that span an incredible career.



Join speakers, including Murray Melvin, as we delve into the British Library’s archives and celebrate Joan Littlewood, Theatre Workshop, Theatre Royal Stratford East’s progressive history, and its bright future.

Other speakers to be announced.

Cost: £5.00 for non-British Library Members; free for British Library Members. Click the image to register.

"Received Pronunciation": the Story of the "Queen's English" British Accent

The ATBL has long supported the British Library's diverse and comprehensive sound collections.

In these stories written by the Library's Lead Curator for Spoken English, Jonnie Robinson, you can explore the history and details of "Received Pronunciation"—the British accent we have all come to know and recognize! Click the images to read (and hear!) the stories.

Received Pronunciation

Received Pronunciation Consonant Sounds

Vowel Sounds of Received Pronunciation

Received Pronunciation Connected Speech Processes

Click image to watch the video.

The ATBL has provided funding over the years to support cataloguing the British Library's Artists' Books collections. Click the image to explore resources connected to the Library's Artists' Books holdings.

My Mackerel Lover by Carolyn Trant, (Shelfmark: HS.74/1793) used with kind permission of Carolyn Trant.

In-Person: What the Heart Desires: Chocolate, Love, and Cardiology at the New York Academy of Medicine Library

February 14, 2022

6:00 PM - 7:30 PM EST

New York Academy of Medicine

1216 5th Ave, New York, NY 10029

Join Historical Collections Librarian Arlene Shaner in the Drs. Barry and Bobbi Rare Book Reading Room on February 14^th for an introduction to the Library and a chance to see some unusual items. Since it is Valentine’s Day, we’ll take a look at items related to chocolate, love, and some very unique Valentines. We will also take a look at some special things related to American Presidential history in honor of Presidents' Day, as well as books with a connection to the heart.

Registration Fees:

$40: non-ATBL Supporter

$30: Student/Young Professional and Associate Levels

$20: Library Fellow Level

Free: Benefactor Level and Above; Grolier Club and BSA Members

Virtual: Tuning Into the Past: Treasures, Tales and Trials of Broadcast History

February 25, 2022

12:00 PM EST

Special Collections in Mass Media and Culture at the University of Maryland Event

For more than one hundred years, television and radio broadcasting have been integral components of American culture, both shaping and reflecting our shared national, cultural and social identities while documenting events that have had significant impacts on human history. Join curators Laura Schnitker and Mike Henry of the Mass Media & Culture archives at the University of Maryland for a virtual tour of one of the leading (and only!) fully dedicated broadcast archives in the U.S. Learn about some of the unique materials in our collections, the overlapping historical narratives they serve and our creative approaches to the challenges of preservation and access. 

Registration fees:



$10: non-ATBL Supporter

Free: ATBL Supporter, Grolier Club and BSA Members, and UMD Students and Faculty

All images copyright of the British Library unless otherwise noted.